Boy Afflicted with Epilepsy Will be First to Receive Experimental Marijuana Treatment

Young Preston Weaver might finally overcome his debilitating Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, as he recently became one of the first children to receive experimental cannabis treatment in the state of Georgia.

The 7-year-old is one of about 50 children involved in a clinical trial for Epidiolex to treat their epilepsy. Developed by GW Pharmaceuticals, the experimental drug contains cannabidiol, otherwise known as CBD — a chemical compound regularly found in marijuana. If the trial is successful, the drug could possibly gain approval from the FDA and help millions more children suffering from various forms of epilepsy.

Georgia Governor Nathan Dean approved the trial after the state legislature nixed a bill that would have legalized cannabis use specifically for ill children.

“No one with a heart could hear the stories of these children and their parents and not want to exhaust every possibility to provide them with the treatment they need to combat this debilitating condition,” Deal said, according to ABC News.